Keri Lowry on the State and Fate of J-1 Exchange Program
The newly appointed U.S. Department of State’s Deputy Assistant Secretary, Keri Lowry, will be attending The World Youth Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) later this month in Belgrade, Serbia.Keri Lowry oversees the U.S. Department of State’s Visitor Exchange program, which facilitates over 300,000 foreign visitors coming into the United States each year to teach, study and intern. The ultimate goal of the program is to create greater understanding and lasting connections among global youths. Keri is expected to provide important information and updates on the J-1 programs and the impact of current affairs on participants and providers.
“International education and cross-cultural exchanges are important elements of U.S. foreign relations. The people-to-people ties and transfer of knowledge achieved through international exchanges builds and sustains a more democratic, secure and prosperous world that benefits the entire global community. International exchanges are vital to our diplomacy efforts and establish lasting ties and relationships between individuals and nations,” said Ms. Lowry.
Current political and social unrest have shaken tourism and travel industries but youth travel remains strong maintains industry experts. The J-1 visa program is an important element in diplomacy and education and support continues as the program grows and evolves.
“I look forward to engaging with the global youth and stakeholders in the student and educational travel industry. Events like WYSTC help build people-to-people diplomacy by preparing young leaders and students globally to be engaged citizens, critical thinkers with broader perspectives of world, and an appreciation for cultural diversity and foreign languages. This ultimately helps break down stereotypes, transforming nations into peoples and translating ideologies into human aspirations.”
As cultural exchange enthusiasts, Alliance Abroad is passionate about the intangible and far-reaching benefits of visitor exchange programs. Because we believe that access to travel, education and amazing experiences shouldn’t be a privilege; it should be available to everyone, everywhere.
Read more about WYSTC and its important mission to serve the youth and student travel market. More on Ms. Lowry’s WYSTC attendance can be found here.
